Dear England review: Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager is captured beautifully by Joseph Fiennes

by

For sixty years, ever since England last won a major football championship, there’s been a lingering sense of entitlement to another victory. When things don’t go their way, disappointment often turns into accusations of unfairness and, sometimes, even violence. And when players don’t live up to unrealistically high hopes, they often face harsh treatment.

James Graham’s brilliant adaptation of his play, Dear England, delves into a core issue within the nation. This four-part BBC series isn’t just about football or Gareth Southgate’s time as England manager; it’s a look at England itself, examining themes of what it means to be a man, national identity, dealing with shame, finding redemption, and the difficulty many English people have expressing their feelings. It’s a powerful exploration of our culture, cleverly presented as a sports drama.

The play first captivated audiences at the National Theatre in 2023, attracting close to half a million viewers. Inspired by Gareth Southgate’s hopeful letter about the future of England, it earned the playwright an Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2024. Adapting the play for television could have felt like a weaker version of the original, but the creator treated it as a completely fresh project. As he explained to TopMob, it was like revisiting the story from a new angle, letting go of the initial approach and finding a different path. This creative choice proves to be remarkably successful.

After England’s shocking loss to Iceland in the 2016 European Championship, Gareth Southgate set out to change the team – not just how they played, but the whole mindset. The story isn’t really about a sporting turnaround, but a change in the players’ psychology. The biggest problem wasn’t a lack of skill; it was fear – fear of losing penalty shootouts, fear of embarrassment, and fear of repeating past failures.

Gareth Southgate’s approach was groundbreaking because he moved away from the typical, tough-minded style of football management. With the help of sports psychologist Pippa Grange, who acted as a mentor to the players, he created an environment where players felt comfortable discussing their anxieties, acknowledging vulnerability, and keeping personal journals. He emphasized the importance of the process and mental toughness over simply winning. While these methods might seem unusual in other contexts, we recognize their effectiveness because they demonstrably improved England’s performance.

In a conversation between Pippa and Gareth, Graham explains the core problem with England’s football team. He asks why they can’t achieve victory, but Pippa responds that England’s biggest issue isn’t learning how to win, but rather learning how to cope with defeat.

Joseph Fiennes’ portrayal of Gareth Southgate is the heart of the story. He doesn’t play Southgate as a bold, inspiring leader or a brilliant strategist, but as a quiet, considerate, and genuinely good person – someone trying to lead with understanding in a world that often doubts kindness and mistakes forcefulness for power. Fiennes delivers this nuanced performance exceptionally well.

The acting is subtle and controlled, relying on nervous smiles, thoughtful expressions, and hidden feelings. As Graham noted, Southgate isn’t a grand, heroic figure. However, what Fiennes accomplishes is perhaps even more impressive: he makes simple goodness captivating to watch.

What truly resonates about Dear England is its vision for a new type of leadership – and, by implication, a better nation. In a world often defined by boastful displays of strength, harshness, and unwavering confidence, Gareth Southgate stands out as something genuinely different: a kind person focused on helping others grow emotionally.

Want to see this content?

This page uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA. Before it loads, we need your permission because it might use cookies. If you want to see the content, please click ‘Accept and continue’ to allow reCAPTCHA to work.

Dear England continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Don’t miss Dear England! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV suggestions, articles, and more.

Authors

Gareth McLean

For almost three decades, Gareth McLean has been a professional television writer and critic. He’s watched and reviewed countless shows, and interviewed a wide range of personalities, including stars like Liza Minnelli and, previously, Jimmy Savile. He’s also worked as a writer creating content for television itself.

Read More

2026-05-25 12:37